If you were listening closely a few weeks ago in northern Vermont, you may have heard what sounded like a secret colony of "Bigfoots." But no, it was just a group of Hyde Park Elementary School students acting like the characters in The Littlest Bigfoot.

If you were listening closely a few weeks ago in northern Vermont, you may have heard what sounded like a secret colony of "Bigfoots." But no, it was just a group of Hyde Park Elementary School students acting like the characters in The Littlest Bigfoot.

A four-legged friend stopped by to spend time with first and fifth grade reading buddies at Chamberlin School in South Burlington — a timely visit, as the older students had recently read about a supportive dog in Paul Griffin 's novel When Friendship Followed Me Home.

A four-legged friend stopped by to spend time with first and fifth grade reading buddies at Chamberlin School in South Burlington — a timely visit, as the older students had recently read about a supportive dog in Paul Griffin 's novel When Friendship Followed Me Home.

About a hundred students from elementary schools in Swanton, Highgate and Sheldon packed into the children's room of the Swanton Public Library on a recent Friday the 13th — a fitting date to welcome author Marina Cohen to talk about her spooky novel The Inn Between.

About a hundred students from elementary schools in Swanton, Highgate and Sheldon packed into the children's room of the Swanton Public Library on a recent Friday the 13th — a fitting date to welcome author Marina Cohen to talk about her spooky novel The Inn Between.

In the book The Wild Robot , a robot named Roz washes up on a remote island and must learn survival skills. Northfield Elementary School students recently gathered in their school library to show off what they learned about the book by way of a friendly trivia competition.

In the book The Wild Robot , a robot named Roz washes up on a remote island and must learn survival skills. Northfield Elementary School students recently gathered in their school library to show off what they learned about the book by way of a friendly trivia competition.

The War That Saved My Life, by author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, is a World War II-era story about a girl and her brother who have a chance to escape their cruel childhood when London is evacuated during the war.

The War That Saved My Life, by author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, is a World War II-era story about a girl and her brother who have a chance to escape their cruel childhood when London is evacuated during the war.

The debut novel by Alex Gino is called George , which is also the name of the main character. But Gino refers to it as Melissa's story. George is a fourth grader, assigned male at birth, but who secretly thinks of herself as Melissa.

The debut novel by Alex Gino is called George , which is also the name of the main character. But Gino refers to it as Melissa's story. George is a fourth grader, assigned male at birth, but who secretly thinks of herself as Melissa.

Students at Waterville Elementary School are gathered around a classroom table, deep in discussion about the characters in A Night Divided, especially the book's main character – 12-year-old Gerta, who lives in East Berlin.

Students at Waterville Elementary School are gathered around a classroom table, deep in discussion about the characters in A Night Divided, especially the book's main character – 12-year-old Gerta, who lives in East Berlin.

If books are supposed to open up new worlds to readers, then Victoria Jamieson's graphic novel Roller Girl has hit its mark with a group of young readers at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

If books are supposed to open up new worlds to readers, then Victoria Jamieson's graphic novel Roller Girl has hit its mark with a group of young readers at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.

Sixth-graders from the Vermont Commons School in South Burlington file into Pierson Library and head up a short set of stairs to a grand room: Shelburne's historic town hall. The class is here to discuss Shadows of Sherwood , the first book in the "Robyn Hoodlum Adventures" series.

Sixth-graders from the Vermont Commons School in South Burlington file into Pierson Library and head up a short set of stairs to a grand room: Shelburne's historic town hall. The class is here to discuss Shadows of Sherwood , the first book in the "Robyn Hoodlum Adventures" series.

One long table dominates the open space in the center of the tiny, 150-year-old Peabody Library in Post Mills. Around that table, a group of Dorothy's List readers – ranging in age from 9 to 11 – are tying lengths of rope into knots. The knots are keeping their hands busy as they discuss the book Circus Mirandus .

One long table dominates the open space in the center of the tiny, 150-year-old Peabody Library in Post Mills. Around that table, a group of Dorothy's List readers – ranging in age from 9 to 11 – are tying lengths of rope into knots. The knots are keeping their hands busy as they discuss the book Circus Mirandus .

More than 3,200 Vermont middle schoolers voted for this year’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, and it was a tight race. But in the end El Deafo was a clear winner. El Deafo is the second graphic novel to win the award in its 60-year history. The first was Smile by Raina Telgemier in 2012. And El Deafo author and illustrator Cece Bell says that book inspired her to create El Deafo .

Library time at the Marlboro School is something of an oasis in the midst of a hectic day. Students in this reading group are serving each other tea and cupcakes, and getting ready to settle in to their discussion of The One Safe Place .

When this group of students from Burlington's Hunt and Edmunds Middle Schools got together to discuss The Art of Secrets , some of them were meeting for the first time. So Edmunds librarian Carole Renca started them out with a matching game to allow the students to mingle. Some students had cards with the names of characters from The Art of Secrets , and others had cards with descriptions of the character.

The early life story of author and illustrator Cece Bell unfolds across the pages of El Deafo in comic book style panels. We first meet Cece as an energetic preschooler who loves to wear her poka-dotted bathing suit everywhere. Then we watch her get sick and lose her hearing as speech bubbles fade to blank.

Outside their classroom, seventh and eighth graders at Rutland Town School are bounce passing and showing off their basketball moves, including the move their latest read was named for – the crossover. When we asked them how they liked the book, they raved about the book. They’re not alone. The Crossover is flying off library shelves like a half-court sinker. It’s a novel-in-verse about identical twins – Josh and Jordan – who are basketball stars at their middle school. Their dad is a former